Women fighting for their land

Instituto Cordilheira | Brasilien, Minas Gerais

Extensive mining is threatening the existence of many rural communities in Minas Gerais. The project supports women who are dedicated to human rights and an intact environment. They learn how to deal with the competent authorities and receive assistance in establishing their economic independence in the field of medicinal herbs and aroma therapy.

The Instituto Cordilheira has been supporting local women’s groups in their fight for the environment and for their rights since 2021. The great importance of this work in the centre of the Brazilian mining industry became obvious in the years 2015 and 2019 (among others), when dam bursts from retention basins of the Samarco (2015) and Vale (2019) mining companies caused environmental disasters: their highly toxic sludge destroyed entire strips of land, poisoning rivers and ground waters. 300 people died, hundreds fell ill and many were compelled to leave their villages because the basis of their livelihood was destroyed.

As small-scale farmers, the women in Minas Gerais state depend on an intact environment in order to secure their livelihood. The “Lotus” project supports and strengthens them on different levels: women from nine local organizations are given the opportunity to attend workshops on advocacy and political work and to exchange experiences at regular meetings. Moreover, they are offered trainings on medicinal herbs and herbology as well as production and joint marketing of natural products in order to tap into a source of income. Other essential pillars of the project are political participation and public relations work using social media, as well as local events carried out to transfer information on the importance of an intact environment and the local population’s rights. Since mining companies and local politicians tend to react to criticism by resorting to violence, the Instituto Cordilheira has developed a safety plan for the team and the women’s groups in 2024, with the support of an external safety consultant.

The Instituto Cordilheira also promotes international networking and cooperates closely with the “Red Mujeres Defensoras de Derechos Sociales y Ambientales” network. In 2024, members attended several international meetings in order to lend more weight to their fight for an intact environment.